A judge in Los Angeles has ruled that a civil lawsuit accusing Alec Baldwin of negligence in the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust can go to trial. The decision, made by Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter, allows the case brought by gaffer Serge Svetnoy to move forward.
According to court documents obtained by Variety, Judge Leiter stated that a reasonable jury could find that Baldwin recklessly disregarded the probability that pointing a gun at someone with his finger on the trigger would cause emotional distress. Svetnoy alleges he suffered emotional distress following the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed when a prop gun held by Baldwin fired a live round. Director Joel Souza was also injured.
The ruling comes after Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed in 2024 due to withheld evidence by New Mexico prosecutors. However, Baldwin continues to face civil lawsuits related to the incident. He has maintained that he was told the gun was 'cold' and that he did not pull the trigger.
Variety reports that Svetnoy's case could be settled before the trial, tentatively scheduled for 12 October. Several other lawsuits have already been settled, including one by Hutchins's family in 2023 and claims by three crew members in 2025. The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2024 and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but was released in May 2025.
